The Incredible Seattle Skyline Panoramic by Doug Wolfe

(About the Photographer: Doug Wolfe is a Seattle based photographer. I had the privilege of knowing Wolfe in Kansas City, where he worked as my assistant for more than five years. Wolfe has always had the curiosity and tenaciousness to dive into long term projects that reap fantastic results. I am sorry that the web does not do justice to this photo, but Wolfe sent me a high res version and it is simply incredible.  BTW, copies of this photo are for sale!)

The photo was suppose to be an arial shot of the Seattle Space Needle at sunset, however after getting a disappointing phone call from my pilot, JP, that shot would have to be done at another time. In Seattle photography is all about the weather.

After getting all psyched for a really special shot, I had to do something. The answer, the old standard Seattle skyline. But not being into standard, I needed a shot that would  ”wow” the viewers mind. Actually, this was not really that last minute. I had planned this shoot for more than two years, but Seattle weather and other factors have always put it on hold.

Arriving at Alki Beach, across Elliot Bay from downtown Seattle, I was looking toward the skyline.  I set up and leveled my trusty Bogan tripod equipped with a pan/tilt head. Using a Nikon D300 set to aperture mode, an old Nikon 80/200 mm AFS set to f/20, I just SWAG-ged (Scientific Wild Ass Guessed) the shot. For the next two hours I practiced the swing that I would need to take the photo.

As the sun started to set and the city lights began their evening glow,  the time was right the conditions good.   I knew I would only have one  pass to get the shot.

At 8:25pm I started to take the photo.  Swinging the camera from right to left  at approximately a 5 degree interval, I shot 18 individual images in raw mode  with a  shutter speed varience  between three seconds to 12 seconds.  Twenty minutes the photo was in the can.

Back at the studio, I used Adobe Photoshop to merge the 18 individual shots into one photograph.  The photo’s final size was an unbelievable 147″ x 15″, with a file size of  870 meg.

Planning a photo is too often a tool that photographers fail to use.  By doing your home work, studying your subject, learning all there is to know; the outcome will produce unbelievable results that will impress even your harshest critic…yourself.

(Douglas Wolfe’s website is www.dougwolfephotography.com.  He can be reached at: doug@dougwolfephotography.com, work is 425.678.8887 and cell is 425.286.5651.)